The Assorted Dim Sum
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 13 minutes ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 11:00
A silver of golden sunlight cuts across the room, painting a bright stripe on the wall. PETER sits on a sofa, completing his Duoloingo streaks.
PETER (V.O.): Maybe a break from the chlorinated rectangle - the bay today.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me check the temperature first.
He opens an observatory app to check.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, a cold weather warning.
Peter's hopeful expression fades.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Pool it is.
He puts his phone down, glancing back out the window at the deceptive, beautiful light.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Should have known.
Act 2
EXT. K:OWLOON PARK SWIMMING POOL - 13:05
Entrance. Peter carries a swim bag. His pace is steady, purposeful.
PETER (V.O.): I think I dropped my goggles nearby two days ago. What bothers me is my lack of attention to detail.
Then, we hear an excited cheer coming from the pool area.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It suggests that something special is happening inside. Could it be that the pool has been rented by a school for a swimming competition?
Then, Peter sees a notice tapped to the gate: Public swimming suspended: 8am - 7pm.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): With the temperature being low, I've swum here for the past four days.
Peter consults his phone, muttering to himself.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sun Yat Sen Memorial Pool. Sai Ying Pun. Change at Admiralty.
He moves with renewed purpose towards the Tsimshatsui MTR station.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But where should I eat at Sai Ying Pun after my swim?
INT. RESTAURANT, SAI YING PUN - 15:10
Traditional. Peter sits at a small table, freshly showered, hair damp.
PETER (V.O.): First time here.
He scans a QR code to access the digital menu.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The assorted dim sum item is great. At HK$28? Let me order a plate of spring rolls and a bowl of sweet green bean soup.
Soon, the food arrives. Peter sees five sizable, plump dumplings of various kinds and a piece of Chinese bread.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, the assorted dim sum selection is substantial.
Peter gazes at the plate of spring rolls and the bowl of dessert.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Miscalculation.
He methodically works his way through the assorted basket and the plate of spring rolls.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The taste is pretty good too.
Later, having paid at the cashier, Peter goes to the toilet. Moments later, when he walks back through the restaurant and passes his table, he sees his swim bag on the chair.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Idiot. What's wrong with me again?
INT. DINING ROOM - 20:30
Peter and his WIFE are dining. Peter has only a few bites of a dish and then puts down his chopsticks.
PETER: I'm full.
His wife watches him, her own eating slowing.
WIFE: The dish isn't good?
PETER: No, no. I'm just full.
He pats his stomach.
PETER(Cont'd): I ordered too much at tea time.
Peter shows his wife a photo of the assorted dim sum.
PETER (Cont'd): It costed just HK$28.
WIFE: Impressive.
PETER (V.O.): I ate every last bite, not for pleasure, but for principle. A full stomach was a lesser pain than a wasteful heart.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:15
Peter uploads an image depicting a bamboo steamer filled with various dim sum delights, alongside a plate of crispy spring rolls and a bowl of dessert to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): The assorted dim sum is the unforeseen consequence of a closed gate. My smallest disruption is measured in the fullness of my stomach.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The truest things are often found in the leftovers, a half-eaten dish, a forgotten bag, and the quiet proof of a day that didn't go as planned.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My life has become like that bamboo basket - steamed by routine, packed with assorted responsibilities, and occasionally feeling quietly neglected.
The END
FADE OUT
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